ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Four crew members died Sunday and another was missing after a Seattle-based fishing boat began sinking in high seas off Alaska's Aleutian Islands, the Coast Guard said.

The Alaska Ranger is a catcher-processing vessel owned by the Fishing Company of Alaska.

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The dead were were identified as Captain Eric Peter Jacobsen, Chief Engineer Daniel Cook, Mate David Silveira and Crewman Byron Carrillo.

They were among 47 crew members who abandoned ship after the 184-foot Alaska Ranger developed problems about 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor.

Forty-two crew members were recovered safely, but a search was continuing for the missing person, said Chief Petty Officer Barry Lane.

"We're continuing a search with a C-130 aircraft based out of Kodiak," said Lane.

Amy Roman, who is related to the chief engineer, placed flowers at Seattle's Fishermen's Memorial on Sunday afternoon. She said she had received the sad news that he died so others could live.

"I don't know who else died, I'm assuming the captain, because the last two people off of a boat are the captain and the chief engineer, because you have to make sure you can save the boat, and everybody else is safe," she said.

The Coast Guard got the distress call from the Alaska Ranger at 2:50 a.m. Alaska time.

"They were reportedly taking on water in their rudder room. They had problems with the rudder, and had problems with flooding in the rudder room. At this time they abandoned ship into life rafts," said Lane.

All those on board were heading to Dutch Harbor in a Coast Guard cutter and the Alaska Ranger's sister ship, the Alaska Warrior. The vessel took part in the rescue operation, along with two Coast Guard helicopters that were used to pluck crew members from life rafts, Lane said.

The Coast Guard does not know how many crew members were from Western Washington or how many were from Alaska or elsewhere.

USCG

A crew member of the Alaska Ranger is taken on board the Coast Guard Cutter Munro.

The people who work at Seattle's Fisherman's terminal have seen these kinds of tragedies before. Mike Corto spent 10 in Alaskan waters, and while he doesn't know anybody on board the Alaska Ranger, the bad news still hits home.

"Basically like brothers. You end up becoming that when you're working as many hours as you do," he said.

"The Bering Sea is just a nasty place," said Jack Knutsen, who owns a long line boat getting ready to head north in another week. He spent 48 years battling Alaska's winter fishing seasons. And while it's still a dangerous profession, it's safer than it used to be.

"The safety equipment has improved a lot, no question about that. The training is better, any good boat will do periodic drills. I think the crews are more professional. The Coast Guard maintains a better presense," said Knutsen.

The Coast Guard says seas with up to 8-foot waves and 25-knot winds were reported at the time of the sinking. The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the accident.

State environmental regulators have been notified that the ship was carrying 145,000 gallons of diesel.

A Coast Guard C-130 crew reported an oil sheen that covered an area of a quarter mile by a half mile. Because of the strong winds, however, state officials say any cleanup effort is unlikely, although those conditions would disperse a spill much more quickly than calm weather.

The Alaska Ranger is a catcher-processing vessel. It's owned by the Fishing Company of Alaska.